The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus of the type for motor vehicles or the like, which is used by being mounted in, for example, an automobile.
A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any apparatus only for use in reproduction or any apparatus which can record and reproduce.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for use in an automobile. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body, in which a cassette inserting inlet 3, into which a cassette half 2 shown in FIG. 2 is inserted, is formed. When the cassette half 2 is inserted into the cassette inserting inlet 3, a motor in the main body 1 begins rotating, so that a magnetic tape 4 in the cassette half 2 is run in the direction of A or B and the apparatus is operated in the reproducing mode. In addition, the direction A indicates the running direction in the case of reproducing the side A of the cassette half 2, while the direction B represents the running direction in the case of reproducing the side B of the cassette half 2. Reference numeral 5 denotes an operating button for ejecting the cassette half 2 whose reproducing operation has been stopped to the outside from the cassette inserting inlet 3, and reference numerals 6 and 7 indicate operating buttons for performing the fast forwarding (FF) or fast rewinding (REW) operation from the reproducing mode. For example, when the operating button 6 is now depressed in the state in that the side A is being reproduced, the magnetic tape 4 is fast forwarded (FF) in the direction indicated by an arrow A. On the other hand, when the operating button 7 is depressed in the reproducing mode of the side A, the magnetic tape 4 is fast rewound (REW) in the direction indicated by an arrow B. On the contrary, when the operating button 6 is depressed in the reproducing mode of the side B, the magnetic tape 4 is fast rewound (REW) in the direction of A and when the operating button 7 is depressed, it is fast forwarded (FF) in the direction of B.
In this way, in such a conventional type of magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, the operating button 6 serves as the operating button for either fast forward or fast rewind in accordance with the reproducing mode of the side A or B. Similarly, the operating button 7 also serves as the operating button for either fast forward or fast rewind according to the reproducing mode of the side A or B. Therefore, there is a drawback such that unless it is recognized that which side of A or B is being reproduced, it is difficult to determine which operating button 6 or 7 should be operated to perform the fast forwarding or fast rewinding operation. In addition, in FIG. 1, numeral 8 denotes a knob for adjusting tone and 9 is a knob for adjusting sound volume.